How to Establish a Confraternity (Rosary Altar Society) in Your Parish

Throughout the world, many Catholic parishes and shrines have established local chapters of the Rosary Confraternity with the help of the Dominican Friars. In the United States, “Rosary Altar Societies” (another common name for the Confraternity) can be found in numerous parishes and often play an important role in promoting devotion to Our Lady and in helping to organize parish activities.

To establish a local chapter of the Rosary Confraternity (Rosary Altar Society), one must first know the appropriate Province of Dominican Friars to contact. If you are uncertain which Province your parish is located within, please click here to see a map and a listing of the various Dominican Provinces.

Once you know which Province you are located within, the Pastor of the parish should write to the Provincial Promoter of the Holy Rosary (see address below for the Province of St. Joseph). This letter should be written on parish letterhead and indicate that the Pastor requests the establishment a local chapter of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. The letter should also note the (Arch-)diocese in which the church in located.

Once this letter is received by the Provincial Promoter, he will contact the Prior Provincial of the Province and begin the process for establishing a new Rosary Confraternity. As part of this process, the Prior Provincial will request the consent of the diocesan Bishop and, following upon that, he will issue an official decree erecting the Rosary Confraternity. This will be mailed to the Pastor, formally establishing the Confraternity at the parish.

Note: Rosary Confraternities (or Rosary Altar Societies) that were established in former decades and which have lost contact with the Dominican Province of St. Joseph may also wish to contact the Promoter of the Holy Rosary to revive the connection.

For more information or to begin the process of establishing a Confraternity of the Holy Rosary in your parish, please use the form below or write to:

Provincial Promoter of the Holy Rosary
The Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary
Dominican Province of St. Joseph
141 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065

Charter Request

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Since you have chosen a location that is outside the territory of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, it will not be possible to process your enrollment through this form. Instead, you may enroll by contacting the Dominican Province that includes your local area. Please see this page to find the correct contact information for your local Dominican Province.

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